US 11,843,325 B2
Crowbar module for an active neutral point clamped power conversion assembly
Bacil Shaqqo, Roanoke, VA (US); Fernando Arturo Ramirez Sanchez, Salem, VA (US); Nathaniel Robert Michener, Roanoke, VA (US); and Steven Wade Sutherland, Roanoke, VA (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Aug. 24, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/000,435.
Prior Publication US 2022/0060123 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. H02M 7/487 (2007.01); F03D 9/25 (2016.01); H02P 9/00 (2006.01); H02P 9/10 (2006.01); H02P 101/15 (2016.01)
CPC H02M 7/487 (2013.01) [F03D 9/255 (2017.02); H02P 9/007 (2013.01); H02P 9/102 (2013.01); H02P 2101/15 (2015.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a multi-level bridge power converter of an electrical power system connected to a power grid, the power converter comprising a first converter coupled to a second converter via a DC link, the power converter having a plurality of switching devices arranged in an active neutral point clamped topology, the plurality of switching devices comprising a first set of middle point switching devices and a second set of middle point switching devices, the method comprising:
receiving, via a controller of the power converter, an indication of a transient event occurring in the power grid or the electrical power system; and
upon receiving the indication, activating a crowbar algorithm programmed in the controller of the power converter to bifurcate a current received by the power converter into a plurality of different current paths defined by the plurality of switching devices, the plurality of different current paths comprising at least a first current path defined by the first set of middle point switching devices and a second current path defined by the second set of middle point switching devices, wherein each of the first and second sets of middle point switching devices include at least two middle point switching devices coupled together in series, wherein each middle point switching device in the first set of middle point switching devices is different from each middle point switching device in the second set of middle point switching devices,
wherein activating the crowbar algorithm programmed in the controller of the power converter to bifurcate the current received by the power converter into multiple current paths defined by the plurality of switching devices further comprises:
generating, via the controller, a model of the first and second sets of middle point switching devices as a function of at least two or more of electrical conditions, physical parameters, and time;
determining a temperature of the first or second sets of middle point switching devices using the model; and
switching directing of the current between the first current path defined by the first set of middle point switching devices and the second current path defined by the second set of middle point switching devices based on the temperature.